CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing
I've never once had a situation where the PCs wanted to camp just outside the BBEG's lair.
The terrifying noises, foul odors, and the increasing frequency and quantity of armed guards usually dissuade them from even mentioning it.
In all seriousness: it's usually not a good idea in my games, and it's not usually very helpful either. I balance my dungeons carefully such that the party usually reaches the "boss fight" with ample resources if they are smart about it. You know: sneaking past guards and bribing monsters, and avoiding calling attention to themselves. If the party were able to somehow take a long rest right outside the lair and start the battle with full resources, I'd have to add bodyguards or something to rebalance the encounter.
But that's a rare exception. My players tend to favor stealthy-type characters, so the whole "sneak in and assassinate the villain" gig works out pretty well for them. And since I award full XP for monsters they defeat with skill (instead of spell or bloodshed), they have less incentive to blast every door off its hinges and slay everything that moves.
And even when things go awry and they end up having to fight more than they had planned for, there's usually a clearly-marked exit for them to use if they decide they need to retreat and try again in a few days. But I don't (and won't) create boss fights that need the party to have 100% of their resources to be victorious. The journey from the dungeon entrance to the boss lair should be memorable, and the path they chose to get there should matter.
The terrifying noises, foul odors, and the increasing frequency and quantity of armed guards usually dissuade them from even mentioning it.
In all seriousness: it's usually not a good idea in my games, and it's not usually very helpful either. I balance my dungeons carefully such that the party usually reaches the "boss fight" with ample resources if they are smart about it. You know: sneaking past guards and bribing monsters, and avoiding calling attention to themselves. If the party were able to somehow take a long rest right outside the lair and start the battle with full resources, I'd have to add bodyguards or something to rebalance the encounter.
But that's a rare exception. My players tend to favor stealthy-type characters, so the whole "sneak in and assassinate the villain" gig works out pretty well for them. And since I award full XP for monsters they defeat with skill (instead of spell or bloodshed), they have less incentive to blast every door off its hinges and slay everything that moves.
And even when things go awry and they end up having to fight more than they had planned for, there's usually a clearly-marked exit for them to use if they decide they need to retreat and try again in a few days. But I don't (and won't) create boss fights that need the party to have 100% of their resources to be victorious. The journey from the dungeon entrance to the boss lair should be memorable, and the path they chose to get there should matter.
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